Allied Health Strategic Plan

Strategic Priority 1 KEEPING PEOPLE HEALTHY

■ Substance use in pregnancy service established including psychology and social work. ■ Drug Health home and community based

■ Aboriginal Liaison Officer focus groups at Westmead occurring with Aboriginal elders. ■ Admin staff have completed asking the question training “are you Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?” ■ 22 allied health staff trained and deployed as COVID Vaccinators including 1 Aboriginal physiotherapist who worked in multiple outreach clinics to the Aboriginal community. ■ 3.6FTE of allied health staff recruited to support acute mental health units during COVID to increase therapeutic activity and physical health awareness. ■ Allied health services are integrating and working closely with their mental health colleagues across child, adolescent and adult services across the LHD. ■ Case conferences occurring between Mental Health, Drug Health, and disability support services for complex consumers. ■ COVID-19 In Touch Wellbeing team was stood up with psychology and social work staff to support mental health and social care needs of COVID-19 positive patients in the community.

Assertive Case Management Program established for high risk drug and alcohol patients including occupational therapy, psychology and social work to prevent frequent hospital admissions.

■ Dietetics and exercise physiology servicing Rapid Access Cardiology Heart Failure Clinics. ■ Partnerships with Get Healthy Coaching service established with dietetics at Blacktown Hospital metabolic clinic and physiotherapy at Westmead through the Get Back to Healthy Trial for low back pain. ■ Allied health staff participated in co-design of towards zero suicides workshops. ■ 270 video calls made between inpatients and families during peak of COVID-19 at ■ 495 video calls facilitated between inpatients and families by social work staff at Westmead Hospital (WMH) during COVID-19 second wave. ■ Social work students at Blacktown increased service capacity by providing early intervention antenatal case management to lower risk pregnant women. ■ 88% of allied health Staff at Westmead have completed online “Aboriginal Culture – Blacktown/Mt Druitt Hospitals (BMDH) enabled by redeployment of Aged Day Services staff (diversional therapists and allied health assistant’s).

Respecting the Difference” training and 100% of Chronic and Complex and Child and Family Allied Health Staff.

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